The Columbia County Board of Education received an update on the textbook adoption process during the board retreat on Thursday, Feb. 23.
Dr. Kellye Bosch, associate superintendent, told school board members the instructional materials review committee met and provided feedback on the final selections that were proposed to the board last month. The curriculum committee, which consists of 13 middle school and high school teachers, also met to review the feedback from public and committee members who had previously shared concerns. The supplementals for AP language and AP literature have been removed following some concerns.
“We had 197 teachers that reviewed the materials and provided feedback,” Bosch said. “They rated them on a criteria of eight areas that you will have when considering a textbook. They rated those and gave feedback to the district. So we had 197 teachers that provided feedback. Out of that 197, the books that we are proposing are the ones that our teachers selected as being the best resources to teach the standards that they are charged with teaching.”
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The district also received feedback from parents. The instructional committee includes four parents, and their feedback was similar to what the teachers provided, Bosch said.
“We also have had several parents come in to review the books that we’ve had for public review,” Bosch said. “Out of those we’ve had six parent/community members provide feedback.”
The books brought to the board members are Savvas for the high school level and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) at the middle school level, Bosch said.
Superintendent Dr. Steven Flynt said HMH is used at the elementary level already.
“The connection between elementary and middle would be a little closer with HMH, and the connection between high school and middle and would be closer if we went with Savvas at high school with the middle school,” Flynt said. “So you kind of get a benefit either way on that one.”
Besides HMH for grades 6-8 and Savvas for grades 9-12, Bedford, Freeman & Worth (BFW) for AP Language and BFW for AP Literature, said Dr. Brian Campbell, director of high schools.
Campbell said the district reached out to the book publishers to find out which school district have adopted those textbooks. Savvas has been adopted in several district throughout Georgia, Atlanta Public Schools, Camden, Forsyth, Fulton, Paulding, Pike, and more. BFW AP Literature is being used in Clayton, DeKalb, Floyd, Fulton, Richmond, and more. BFW AP Language has been adopted in Appling, Atlanta, Dalton, Forsyth, Fulton, McDuffie, Buford City, and more.
The textbook information will be presented again at the school board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 28, Flynt said.
